Paint Shop Pro. I used version 7.04 but if you are familiar with PSP, you should be able to convert the tutorial without problems. You can download the latest PSP version demo here.

My selection files. Place them in your PSP selections folder (or any location of your choice - just remember where you place them). You can download them here.

My seamless fabric tiles (or you may use your own if you wish). Download mine here.

Step 1. Open up a new image 350 x 400, background color of your choice.

Step 2. Add a new layer. Load selection 1 (go to selections>load from disk - then navigate to the location you placed the selection files). Flood fill with black. Contract by 2 (go to selections>modify>contract - type in "2." Flood fill with #D8B088.

Step 3. Add a new layer. Set your foreground color to #946436 and your background color to #F8EEE4. Choose your airbrush and set it to the following settings.

Step 4. Spray on some color in a pattern similar to mine. Feel free to adjust the size of the airbrush as it suits you. For this tutorial, my size ranged from 2 - 20, depending on what part I needed to work on. In general, you will spray darker colors around the outside and lighter colors on the inside.

Step 5. Choose your retouch tool, smudge brush and use the following settings.

Step 6. Smudge the colors around. I usually start on the outside and smudge all around the dark colors. Then I move to the center and work my way outward. Finally, I go over it all and smudge out uneven places. Feel free to adjust the brush size up/down as it suits your best - the settings I've given you are guidelines.

Step 7. Add a new layer. Choose your draw tool, freehand line, size 1. Set your foreground color to black and your background color to null. Draw some lines in the hand, similar to mine.

Step 8. Add a new layer. Load selection 2. Repeat same steps as you just did for the first hand.

Step 9. Add a new layer. Load selection 3 (this is an ear). Flood fill with black. Contract by 2. Flood fill with #D8B088.

Step 10. Add a new layer. With airbrush spray #946436 around the outside and spray #FFC0FF (pink) on the inside of the ear. Smudge around as above.

 

Step 11. Add a new layer. Load selection 4 (the other ear). Repeat as in the last step.

Step 12. Add a new layer. Load selection 5 (this is the head). Flood fill with black. Contract by 2. Flood fill with #D8B088. Add a new layer. With airbrush, spray the same colors as before (darker around the edges with W#946436 and lighter inside with #F8FFF4.

Step 13. Smudge the colors around as before. When done, you should have something similar to this.

Step 14. Next you'll draw the facial features for your bear. Go ahead and set your foreground color to black and your background color to the same brown you used before (#D8D088). Set your draw tool to freehand line, size 1-2 and draw a nose and a mouth. Turn your background color off (it'll be null) and draw the eyes, the two vertical lines for the mouth, and the little vertical line under the nose. Don't worry about it being perfect, whatever you draw will give him his personality!.

Step 15. Add a new layer. With your airbrush, spray some color on his cheeks and then smudge.

Step 16. Add a new layer. Load selection 6. Flood fill with black, contract by 2. Flood fill with the "01bearshirt" tile you downloaded (change the size to 10). You can add shading to this layer if you want, your choice.

Step 17. Add a new layer. Load selection 7. Flood fill with black. Contract by 2. Flood fill with #D8B088. Add a new layer and spray with your airbrush (same colors as before, i.e., #F8EEE4 (light color) and #D8B088. Smudge as before.

Step 18. Add a new layer. Set foreground color to black and background color to null. Choose line tool, freehand line. Draw lines similar to mine

Step 19. Add a new layer. Load selection 8. Repeat previous step.

Step 20. Add a new layer. Load selection 9. Flood fill with black, contract by 2. Flood fill with "2 Bearpants" pattern that you downloaded (size 10, angle 0).

Step 22. Add a new layer. Load selection 10. Flood fill with black, contract by 2 Flood fill with red #844130. Contract by 5. Flood fill with black. Contract by 2. Hit "delete" key on your keyboard. Duplicate this layer and place it to the other side of this one.

 

Step 24. Add a new layer. Load selection 11. Flood fill with black. Contract by 2. Fill with a color, gradient, or pattern. I chose a green gradient. If you wish, you can decorate it. I decided to leave mine plain.

Step 26. Add a new layer. Load selection 12. Flood fill with black. Contract by 2. Flood fill with #894331. Move this layer behind your arm layer.

My final touch was to add some confetti in the air around him - there's a confetti tube that comes with PSP. And that's it, all done!

I hope you've enjoyed the tutorial, and as always, please feel free to contact me if you have any problems.